


Twin Star Concerto

by FlyingBowl



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Band Fic, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Gen, Girl Band, Guitars, High School, Idols, School, Sisters, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2019-11-28 12:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18208454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingBowl/pseuds/FlyingBowl
Summary: The untold story of Hina's years of effort to mend the broken relationship with Sayo. The rift begins to close as they have one thing in common: guitar.Twin Star Concerto series set in the same timeline as Daily Lives of Boppin 2-A.





	1. Together Again at Last

Hina Hikawa gazed at thousands of empty seats before her. It was total silence and the stage was dimly lit. The scene before the girl was the total opposite of what occurred a few hours back.

Hina turned around. Heavy musical instruments like drums, keyboards, and DJ decks were already moved from the set; leaving only sound systems and a bunch of cables. She picked a guitar cable, plugged it to her aqua blue guitar, then turned on the amplifier.

The guitarist of Pastel*Palettes sat on the edge of the stage. She played the riff of Luminous Once Again and hummed on its melody.

“Hina, are you there?”

Hina stopped her fingers and waved at the person who had just arrived at the scene. “Onee-chan! Let’s play together!”

Sayo Hikawa appeared from behind the curtain. The older one of Hikawa twins had changed into a blouse and a pair of leggings. Two coats were on hand; one of which belonged to Hina. She was also carrying a guitar on her back.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Sayo said while walking toward Hina. The long-haired girl looked around the dark arena in a frown. “What are you even doing here?”

Hina gave her sister a gleeful smile and continued playing. “I wanna perform on this stage forever~”

“Don’t be silly, Hina,” said Sayo as she pulled the sleeve of Hina’s flannel shirt. She gave her a stern look. “It’s time to go home.”

“You know what; I’ve been dreaming to stand on the same stage with you for two years,” Hina said. The girl reminisced the day when she pleaded to her parents to buy her a guitar, then took part in the band audition for Pastel*Palettes. She grinned at Sayo, then added, “And today my dream finally came true! Our guitar medley was super duper boppin’!”

“That’s--” Sayo said. Her glance was shifted elsewhere. “Your dream, huh...”

Sayo went all statue-y; barely move and even stopped blinking. Hina knew her sister’s habit.  Sayo usually did that whenever she was lost in thought.

“...who would've thought we’d work so well together?”

“Then, why don’t we zap another song together next time?”

“Well… I must say, performing with you once in a while isn’t so bad after all.”

Hina let out a smug. “Onee-chan, you’re blushing~” teased the younger twin.

“No, I’m not!” Sayo objected. It didn’t help, as her cheeks became even redder instead.

Hina giggled. After all this time, her sister still tended to go awkward whenever she expressed her feelings to Hina. Still, their current relationship was way better than during their junior high or early high school days.

“Oh, or we can jam right here, right now! It’s gonna be whaaam!!”

“We’re going home. Period.”

“Awww, you’re no fun,” Hina pouted. “C’mon, let’s play for a lil’ bit… I know you enjoyed our time jamming together. You were smiling during our performance.”

“Me, smiling?” Sayo crossed her arms on chest and looked away. “You must have mistaken me for Seta-san.”

Hina giggled. “You do realize that you and Kaoru-kun don’t have any teeny-weeny resemblance, right?”

Sayo rolled her eyes.

Hina lightly tapped the set’s wooden floorings; signaling her sister to join in.

“Pretty please...?”

“...fine,” Sayo sighed. “We’re going to miss the last train if we keep arguing like this.”

“Kokoro-chan offered to take us home, tho?”

“I’ve turned down the offer. You had troubled the suit ladies with your antics.”

Sayo readied her guitar, then sat beside her younger sister. Hina quietly observed as the guitarist of Roselia did some sound check.

“Onee-chan, which song should we--”

Sayo suddenly went from sound check to performing an actual song. Hina opened her mouth in surprise when she recognized the melody Sayo was producing.

“Happy birthday, Hina.”

“Eeh?”

Sayo didn’t make eye contact with the recipient of the song, as she gazed to the audiences’ seats instead.

“Happy birthday, Hina...”

What was going on?

Sayo finally shifted her gaze and looked straight at Hina. Their identical green eyes met. She strummed the strings of her guitar at a slower tempo.

“Happy birthday, my dear sister…”

Hina was left speechless. They celebrated their eighteenth birthday just three days back, but still, she didn’t expect Sayo to go singing a birthday song for her now.

“Happy birthday... to you.”

Sayo smiled warmly as she finished the song.

“Thank you for always being there in these eighteen years and nine months, even during the years I drifted away and treat you awfully.”

Hina didn’t think she deserved that gratitude. It was natural for her to stay right by her sister’s side. They were twins, after all. And she just loved her sister so much. Sayo Hikawa, the coolest person in the whole world.

And Sayo even counted the time when they were still inside their mother’s womb...

Hina’s vision went blurred. Her cheeks became wet due to tears flowing from her eyes.

“Hina…” said Sayo.

Hina wrapped her arms around Sayo. “Onee-chan, you meanie! Today’s supposed to be a boppinly happy day, full of smiles!” she said between her sobs. “But… but you’re making me all teary like this...”

Sayo returned the hug. “I’m sorry for ruining your day… and for being three days late,” she replied. “I just can’t bring myself to express this in front of the others.”

Hina could imagine Sayo being all flustered again, with her blush and all.

“You stupid sister of mine...! This is the best moment of all!”


	2. The Beginner Takes the Stage

 

“Moooom, I’m going now!” Hina exclaimed as she passed the kitchen of her home.

“Take care, Hina-chan!” replied a blonde-haired woman who was in the middle of whisking pudding ingredients. A sweet, fruity, scent filled the room.

“Strawberry pudding…!” Hina gleefully said. The girl immediately made a plan in her head to eat the dessert right after she went home later. But first thing first… “How do I look, Mom?”

Hina wore a two-tone blue jacket with starry patterns over a printed t-shirt, combined with black frilly skirt. She also donned several accessories: a star-shaped barrette, choker with a star pendant, as well as black leather belt. She planned to wear suede boots for her footwear, but that was for later (her mother would scold her if she wore shoes inside the house).

Her mother smiled as her pair of green eyes observed Hina’s outfit of the day. “You look super duper boppin’, Dear.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Hina said as she hugged her mother from behind. Her next words were uttered in a whisper, “Wish me good luck for the audition~”

Hina then walked through the room. The kitchen, dining room, as well as the living room, were connected. Sitting on the sofa while reading a magazine was Sayo, her older sister.

Sayo and Hina were identical twins. Like most twins, during their toddler and elementary years, they sported the same look and wore matching clothes. They began to differ as the two grew into their teens. Hina currently was five centimeters shorter than her older twin. Their hairstyles were also different; Sayo’s was loose over her waist, while Hina’s was shoulder-length with sections of her sides were put into two little braids.

Hina put on a knitted beanie and said, “I’m going out, Onee-chan.”

Sayo nodded absently. Her eyes were still focused on the music magazine.

The smile on Hina’s face faded. Her sister was being cold to her, just like yesterday and many days before. Sayo’s unknown vexation to her had been going on for so long, that it currently became a ‘same as always’ phrase. It was ironic for Hina to admit this as a normal exchange between sisters; twins at that.

Yet, it was a reality.

A reality that she intended to change.

“Bye then, Onee-chan…”

Hina wore a glum face. This wasn’t a good mood to start this important day. But as the girl turned around, she could hear her sister’s voice.

“Don’t stay out too late, Hina.”

And that short sentence was enough to fill her heart with joy.

*** * ***

The building stood before Hina was larger than she had expected. It was four to five stories high and looked spacious from the outside. Several cars of various types were parked in front of the building. It was the headquarters of a certain talent agency.

Hina didn’t come empty-handed. She carried an electric guitar on her back; nicely put into a black gig bag. Although she just owned it for a short time, the guitar had been a part of her daily life now. Every day after school was practice time.

The girl gripped the shoulder straps of her gig bag. She gazed at the building with determination. Entering this talent agency would be her first step to chase Sayo’s back. Their relationship might change for the better if they had something in common. Hina and Sayo could jam and talk about music together.

Her sister should’ve loved the idea... right?

Hina shook her head. No; this wasn’t the time to have doubts. She must nail the band audition.

The high school girl then entered the building. Eight sets of armchairs and coffee tables were placed at the lobby. Most of the seats were occupied; some by girls of Hina’s age who bought guitar gig bags—fellow band audition participants, she guessed.

Hina asked about the band audition at the reception desk, then went to the second floor. The girl still had some time before the audition started, so she decided to have a tour around the place.

Bummer.

Hina looked at the glass door before her. It was the type that must be unlocked with an access card; something that a mere auditioner like her didn’t possess.

Thought she might run into celebrities. Not that she intended to ask for an autograph; she was just curious of them. Were they as boppin’ as seen on TV?

The hallway was empty. No one was in sight. Whoever worked on this floor must’ve done their activities behind the closed door.

The only thing there—apart from the locked door and restrooms—were dozens of posters and a few standees.

“Wow, so these are the celebrities who belong in this agency…”

Hina recognized some celebrities there. One of them being an actress of Hina’s age, who she knew from TV dramas that her mother frequently watched. She looked at the displays for a little while more then went to the restroom.

A cute voice was heard as Hina opened the door.

“The pretty pink charm--”

A twin-tailed girl was posing in front of a mirror. She was waving her gun fingers and exclaimed, “--Aya Maruyama enters the stage!”

Hina bursted out laughing when the pink haired girl named Aya Maruyama finished the pose with her body slightly bent to the side, accompanied by a wink. Realizing Hina’s presence, the girl turned around and jumped backward in surprise; nearly bumped into the marble sink behind her. She then covered her beet-red face and muttered inaudibly.

“Hey, hey, whatcha doin’ there?” Hina asked as she approached the pretty pink charm. “Was that some kind of mantra?”

“No… I… I...” Aya Maruyama whimpered. She then ran past Hina and said, “AAAA, I’m so embarrassed…!”

“Eeh, where are you going?”

But the girl had escaped the room. As the door closed, Hina could hear the girl shouting, “Mom, forgive your daughter for being so stupid!”

Hina put her hands on her hip. She smiled confusedly. “Welp, that was weird.”

* * *

“I’ve been playing for ten years.”

“Wow, you must have some serious skill!”

Hina and her fellow auditioners were talking around while waiting for their turns. They chatted about music technical kinds of stuff, which sounded otherworldly due to her being a beginner. Still, it was good to learn something new, so she eagerly listened as she was snacking on Pocky.

“How about you, Hikawa-san?”

“Mm?” Hina stopped biting her Pocky. She put out the chocolate-coated biscuit and answered, “Prolly two weeks?”

The girls were startled. Their eyes widened. “...no way!”

“You’re a total noob?” asked one of the girls with a frown. “Do you even able to play ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, Hikawa-san?”

Hina nodded. She raised her half-bitten Pocky stick and exclaimed with confidence. “You bet I can; along with ‘Baby Shark’ and ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’!”

The ten-year-veteran scoffed. “Don’t waste the judges’ time with you half-baked performance.”

Hina was puzzled. The announcement only stated about the agency’s need for a female high-schooler guitarist; no mention about the length of experience whatsoever.

“I plan to give my all, tho?” Hina replied. She wondered why this girl didn’t take her seriously.

The fellow auditioner glared at Hina. “You’d better go home before they’re throwing mean comments to you.”

“I wanna join the band!” Hina’s green eyes sparkled with excitement. “I gotta catch up with my sister, you see!” she added with a grin.

The experienced guitarist muttered inaudibly, then said, “Don’t get ahead of yourself--”

“Number 958!”

“Oh, that’s me!” Hina exclaimed. She got up from her seat and waved at the fellow guitarists. “Wish me good luck, guys!”

The audition room was, in fact, a small auditorium. Three people were sitting at the front row. A long table was placed in front of them, with papers full of notes.

Hina politely greeted the judges. They returned the greeting, then asked Hina to take a position on the stage and introduce herself.

“My name is Hina Hikawa, fifteen--nope, tomorrow I’m gonna turn sixteen! I love sweets and fries!” said Hina. “And I go to Haneoka High!”

“Haneoka the prep school?”

Hina nodded. “Yup, the boppin’ Haneoka! We have a zappin’ uniform and our annual festival is whaam!”

“Boppin’, zappin’, whaam...?” asked one of the judge, confused. “Some kind of slang words?”

The other judge smiled helplessly and replied, “I have no idea as well.”

The third judge shrugged. “Didn’t expect to see someone from there in a band audition. And you don’t strike me as a bookworm....”

“Eeh, bookworm?” Hina pointed at herself.

What would make people think that Haneoka is full of bookworms and didn’t play music? Her juniors even had quite a name in the indie band scene. Was it because of the ‘prep school’ label thingy? But Hina didn’t have the chance to explain, as the judges asked her to begin the performance. So, she connected her guitar to an amplifier instead.

Hina strummed the strings of her guitar into a playful tone, which made the judges baffled. One of them even went as far as facepalming. Time to spice things up, then. The girl changed chord and proceeded to another song. The guitarist went from one song after another without stopping. Her right hand strummed the strings upwards and downwards, while her left danced around the chords. Playing various songs with different beats was fun. And to add that this was the first time she performed in front of strangers, like a professional musician on the stage…

It made her thrilled.

Hina wondered if this was the reason why her sister was so absorbed with the guitar.

Hina ended her performance with a final downstroke. The girl turned her attention to the judges and bowed to them.

“What was that?! You don’t jump from ‘Baby Shark’ to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’!” one of the judges exclaimed. “And there were that Disney crab song and Mario’s theme right before ‘Canon’ rock. That was... a way too wild ride….”

“Speaking of it, I love the smooth transition between ‘Canon’ and ‘Jurassic Park Theme’.”

“Thankies!” Hina replied. Of course, she hoped for good comments from the judges. But still, to receive that compliment for real made her heart filled with excitement.

“Seems like you’re just mashing your favorite songs together, huh? The mood was all over the place and your tempo was too fast in many parts.”

Hina rubbed the back of her head. That wasn’t good. The other judges seemed to like Hina’s performance, but not with this one. Her chance of passing the audition might be dropped significantly due to this criticism. It made her kind of worried.

“So… That wasn’t boppin?” Hina asked.

“I don’t know what’s that supposed to mean, but despite the faults, I must admit that your performance was very entertaining.”

That was surprising.

“By the way, can you sing while playing the guitar?”

“Of cour--”

The girl immediately froze. Crap. She gave that answer out of reflex. In fact, Hina never tried singing and playing guitar at the same time. She put herself in a bad situation here….

_“Do you even able to play ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, Hikawa-san?”_

The question from a few minutes back suddenly popped out in her head. This gave her an idea. ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ was super easy to play; she should be able to sing along to it.

Thus, Hina strummed her guitar and sang, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star… How I wonder what you are!”


	3. When We Drift Apart

Hina tiptoed down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. The girl held her breath as she walked past her sister’s room. A faint guitar sound could be heard from that room. She prayed that Sayo wouldn’t suddenly come out and caught her carrying a guitar gig bag around. When the doorknob of her own room was within reach, she opened the door and closed it as fast as she could.

The younger Hikawa twins let out a sigh of relief. Operation smuggling Hina Hikawa’s guitar was accomplished. She intended to keep the guitar stuff a secret as a surprise; at least until she finally joined a band, just like Sayo did.

The high-schooler turned on the lights, then opened her wardrobe. She hid the gig bag between winter coats and parkas. That should do. Good thing Sayo wasn’t the type to fiddle with other people’s belongings, let alone borrowing coats .

Hina then went to Sayo’s room. After a long day at the audition, she just wanted to see her twin.

“I’m home, Onee-chan!”

Sayo was speaking with someone on the phone. The long-haired girl glanced at Hina and said something to the person over the phone. “Sorry, it’s just my little sister, yelling around like a kid. What? You’re canceling the rehearsal?” She clicked her tongue and continued, “...fine, go watch that movie, then. Okay, bye.”

Sayo ended the call and turned to Hina. “How many times should I remind you to knock?”

Hina smiled awkwardly. “I kinda forgot. Sorry...” She then asked, “You okay, Onee-chan? You were talking about canceled rehearsal or something.”

“Seems like I’m the only one who’s serious about the band.” Sayo crossed her arms and looked away. She let out a sigh. “Why am I talking about this with you? ...when it’s none of your business.”

“Oof, okay.”

Hina averted her gaze as well. She happened to lay eyes on Sayo’s navy blue guitar, which was laid on the bed. Her older sister practiced diligently as usual. Yet she kind of wondered why Sayo had to spent so much time with it, often strumming the same phrase over and over. As far as she heard, Sayo’s playing was great already. So, why? Hina herself practiced a lot too during these two weeks, but it was due to her being a total newbie. Sayo, meanwhile, had picked up the instrument since middle school.

“So, what do you want, Hina?”

“Huh?”

Sayo frowned. “You just randomly enter my room with no reason?”

‘We’re gonna turn sixteen at midnight! Let’s kill time by binge-watching your favorite dog show!’ was what Hina would like to say, but her sister seemed so irritated right now.

Hina shook her head. “Nuh-uh. I just want to say hi.”

The little sister then left the room in silence. Hina, once again, showed up at the wrong time. Their rhythm as twins got worse and worse as the years passed.

Sayo used to be boppin’ and cherished Hina a lot. Now her big sister became all-serious and (almost) always grumpy whenever Hina talked to her. She realized that the problem was her, but didn’t know what triggered Sayo. Her twin refused to speak up, while Hina was no mind reader.

It was so frustrating when you didn’t know anything.

Now Hina really needed sweets to brighten her mood. Time to grab the strawberry pudding her mother made this morning.

The girl went downstairs and spotted Mom who was watching TV in the living room. Hina sat beside the older woman. She told about her audition; how the judges were impressed by her performance, as well as the criticism expressed by one of them. Mom, in return, gave Hina a pat on the head and encouraged her.

“Welp, fingers crossed while waiting for my result.”

Hina then walked to the kitchen. As she opened the refrigerator, a luxury-looking box immediately caught her attention. The teal-haired girl put the box out and peeked on its content.

“Mom~ There’s a cake in the fridge!”

“Cake?”

“Yup! It’s all colorful like Rainbow Dash’s tail. And there’s ‘Happy birthday Sayo & Hina’ written on the cake....”

Mom immediately stood up with a panicked look on her face. “Forget you saw the cake!”

“But I can’t unsee things…” said Hina. She closed the lid and continued, “Whoever bought it, tho? Either onee-chan or I can accidentally found the cake if we’re looking for desserts and such.”

The mother of two sighed. “It’s your dad… He bought an ice cream cake because the cake shop recommended it.”

Speaking of Dad, he was nowhere in sight. Usually, it was he who was watching TV this time around. Mom then informed that he was out buying some party supplies.

“Please act surprised for your dad later, okay?”

“WHOAAA, WHAT A BOPPIN’ CAKE!!” Hina gasped and opened her mouth so wide that it could chew a Big Mac all the way from the top until the bottom bun. She then returned to her normal expression. “Like that?”

Mom giggled. “That’s overdramatic, but yes, please cooperate.”

Hina later spent the rest of March 19th night inside her bedroom. She watched random videos while laying on the bed that it eventually made her fell asleep.

_ “Onee-chan… It hurts!” Hina said; tears flowed from her eyes. The five-year-old sat on the park’s walkway helplessly. Her right knee was scratched and it bleed a little. _

_ A girl whose appearance was identical to hers came out running; a handkerchief in hand. Sayo stumbled and almost fell like Hina, making the younger twin gasped panicky, but she managed to balance herself. As the big sister reached Hina, she joined her to sat on the brick walkway. _

_ Sayo blew Hina’s knee and mumbled ‘pain, go away’ repeatedly. She then wiped the wound with a wet handkerchief. _

_ “Oww…” Hina said weakly. She wiped the tears with the back of her hand. _

_ “You made me scared when you fell, Hina,” Sayo said. Her green eyes, looked slightly reddish due to the sunset sky, gazed at Hina warmly. “Told ya. You’re gonna fall if you run too fast.” _

_ “But I don’t wanna miss today’s episode,” replied Hina. “The rangers were beaten by that pancake monster yesterday. I wanna cheer ‘em to fight back.” _

_ Sayo shrugged and glanced at a clock near the slides. “There’s still fifteen minutes ‘till the show,” the little girl informed as she crouched. “Hop on. I’ll carry you home.” _

_ Hina hugged her big sister from behind. Sayo held Hina’s leg and got up. She managed to walk a few steps before eventually stopped. The girl bent her legs and her body trembled. _

_ “You’re too heavy...!” Sayo turned her head and pouted at Hina. “That’s what you get for eating my cake!” _

_ “Wha--? And you ate my chocolate!” Hina protested. She pinched her sister’s cheeks to vent her irritation. _

_ “Daz for making me eat ya cawwot!” replied Sayo. Her speech became a little unclear due to Hina’s pinch. _

_ To make Sayo ate Hina’s despised carrots was kind of bending the truth. She never begged Sayo to eat her share. Her sister was the one who voluntarily did it to prevent Hina being scolded by their mom. Sayo didn’t manage to finish hers in return, so she was the one who got scolded instead. _

_ Several adults who was walking their dogs giggled at Hina and Sayo. They commented on how adorable the twin sisters’ fight were. _

_ Sayo crouched and immediately ordered, “G--get off, Hina! You embarrassed us!” _

_ “Eeh?” said Hina while getting off her sister’s back. “You’re the one that offered to carry me and started the fight.” She frowned. _

_ “Whatevs!” Sayo exclaimed; her cheeks reddened. She later turned to the dog-walking group and ran to them. “Aunties, uncles, grannies! May I pet the cute doggies?” _

_ “Onee-chan, what about me?!” _

_ Hina chased her sister, but as she tried to run, she fell. For the second time that day. Hearing Hina’s muffled shout made Sayo immediately turned around, forgetting the cute dogs. Sayo hugged Hina and gave a pat on her head. _

_ “Don't cry, Hina,” whispered Sayo. “Onee-chan's here.” _

“Hina!”

Someone was calling and shaking Hina gently. She opened her eyes and saw a blurry figure.

“Onee-chan…?”

“Hina-chan! Wake up, sweetie pie.”

Sayo never called her ‘Hina-chan’ or ‘sweetie’, even during their old times. Hina closed her eyes again and turned her body to the opposite direction. “Five more minutes, Mom…”

“It’s twelve.”

“Twelve midnight…?” Hina replied. There was no sunlight coming through the window when she briefly opened her eyes before. “Still have seven or eight hours of sleep.…”

“It’s one past twelve now,” Mom announced. She went silent for a moment before continued, “Hina-chan, what day is it?”

Hina yawned. “Yesterday was Sunday, so it’s Monday… I don’t attend a midnight school,” she said. “And today is the Spring Equinox. Even ghosts aren’t supposed to go to the ghost school on a public holiday....”

Hina then realized something. She got up at once and shouted, “It’s March 20th!! Cake! Midnight sweets!”

The mother of two chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t you go midnight-snacking too often.” She then walked to the door and said, “Now let’s go to Sayo-chan’s room.”


	4. Joint Birthday is a Thing of the Past

When Hina and Mom entered the room, Sayo was fiddling with her laptop. Her face looked all-serious in front of the screen but not with her pose, as she was holding a dog plushie on her lap. It was her favorite, given when she was still in the kindergarten (despite its age, the plushie was still in good condition).

Sayo turned her head and said, “Hi, Mom. Haven’t slept yet?”

Sayo didn’t even address Hina. Bummer.

“I could ask you the same, Sayo-chan.”

Hina followed right behind as Mom approached Sayo. The laptop screen showed an image of some sort of floor plan with a LINE chat window beside it.

“What are you up to?” Mom asked.

Sayo returned her focus to the screen. “Mm, just student council work for the entrance ceremony. Our current talk is kinda out of topic though,” the long-haired girl answered as she continued typing.

Hina peeked at her sister’s messages. Sayo was chatting with at least four people. One of them asked whether Sayo prefer corgi or pomeranian; followed by another person who mentioned some not-so-cute-looking dog breeds like Pitbull, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, and Doberman.

Were Sayo’s student council friends happened to be dog lovers as well? Coincidentally, Hina’s curiosity was conveyed by Mom, who asked the very same question.

“Well, one of them owns a Shiba Inu Sayo answered.

The Hanasakigawa student typed ‘What’s the occasion, Ushigome-senpai?’ then sent a follow-up chat ‘All breeds are fine for me, including the fierce-looking one like Rottweiler’. The other participants then talked about a dog popularity poll and spammed the chat with stickers.

Sayo continued typing, but her hands stopped part way. She gave her mother a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t pull an all-nighter.”

Hina kind of envied her Mom now. Sayo never smiled to Hina in years. When was the last time they were still in good terms? The fifth or sixth year of elementary school? She was lost in thought until a poke at her arm interrupted.

“Hina-chan, why don’t you join the student council like your sister?” asked Mom with a teasing smile. “Instead of playing around every day.”

Hina pouted. “I do some serious after-school activities too....”

“For instance?” Mom asked with a calm smile.

“My astronomy club meetings!”

Though it was kind of sad because the club only had two members during this whole year.

“I also make aroma oils at the chemistry lab!”

But it wasn’t considered a club activity.

“And…” Hina gave her mom a meaningful look. “You-know-what practice.”

“Yes, I believe you, dear.” Mom said. The woman later turned to Sayo. “Could you come down for a while? Your dad is looking for you.”

“This late at night?”

Sayo gave a confused look. She seemed unaware of the cake, let alone the birthday celebration. Either that, or she was so good at acting oblivious. She didn’t ask questions and excuse herself from the chatroom nevertheless.

What welcomed Hikawa twins in the living room were ‘Happy Birthday’ sung by their parents as well as a birthday cake. Dad popped a party popper; making both Hina and Sayo were covered in confetti. The room was decorated with pennant banners and some balloons.

“Happy birthday, Onee-chan!” exclaimed Hina with a bright smile.

“...happy birthday too, Hina.”

Ironically, happiness was absent from her sister’s face. Hina guessed Sayo might be still upset about her band situation, so she didn’t contemplate on that. Instead, she hugged her parents and thank them for the surprise.

“I don’t realize today is our birthday,” Sayo muttered.

Dad gave a small laugh. “My daughter is such a busy bee that she even forgets her own birthday.”

“Sayo-chan’s been up for her student council’s task when I called her,” Mom informed.

“Well, there’s the entrance ceremony around the corner…”

“Take a break, Sayo,” Dad suggested. The teal-haired man then spread his arms and exclaimed, “Come, join the hug on this merry day!”

Hina, still clinging to her parents like a koala to its eucalyptus tree, nodded. She turned her head to Sayo and said, “Yeah, yeah! Let’s do a group hug, Onee-chan!”

“What’s with this group hug thing…” muttered Sayo, who later said, “Mom, Dad, we’re not kids anymore… No need to hold a celebration like this every single year.”

Hina let go of her hug. “There’s a whole cake, Onee-chan! Don’t you love it?” she asked enthusiastically. The younger twin grinned and added, “I’ll give a third, nope, half of my share to you!”

“I’ve past the period of sweets-loving kid.”

That was puzzling. Hina saw Sayo ate a slice of chocolate cake just yesterday. Furthermore, there were chewing gums and candies beside her sister’s laptop. Why would she lie?

Sayo let out a sigh. “Look; Mom, Dad, I truly appreciate this,” she uttered. “But to be honest, these few years I have been meaning to tell you that I’m not that fond of this kind of celebration anymore....”

“Sayo-chan,” Mom reached out Sayo’s hand. She calmly said, “Just stay for a while.”

Sayo looked at Mom in the eyes. She went silent for a while before eventually stated, “Alright... I’ll stay until we cut the cake.”

The family of four then gathered around the birthday cake. Hina and Sayo were seated on a couch. The birthday girls held the cake together, while their parents took photos of them. Contrary to Hina who smiled all the time, Sayo seemed apathetic. It was very apparent that her big sister didn’t enjoy this at all. And Hina kind of guessed that it was her fault. Like always.

Dad asked Sayo and Hina to blow the candles together. Hina, being a good girl, readied herself to do so, yet her sister on the other hand…

Sayo crossed her arms and stated, “I don’t want to.”

Hina turned her head to Sayo. “Onee-chan…” she said weakly.

Dad tried to encourage his eldest daughter. “Come on, Sayo. Just blow the candle together with Hina, then you’re done.” His hands were still holding the phone to take pictures.

Sayo shook her head. “...this joint birthday is ridiculous.”

“Your grandparents would like to see the photos.”

“So this whole set up is to fool our grandparents, huh…” Sayo flatly said.

Hina was bewildered by her sister’s statement. “Set up? Fooling grandpas and grandmas?”

Sayo got up from the sofa. She looked at Dad straight in the eye and continued, “You have been sending birthday photos of us every single year to give them the false impression that Hina and I are getting along like the old days.”

Mom approached Sayo and patted her shoulder. “Sayo-chan, please calm down.”

“I’m done with this pretend play, Mom,” Sayo opposed. She then turned to Dad and said, “Truth is: we don’t! And they already realize that.”

“They know?” Hina asked as she raised from her seat as well. “Even great grandpa and grandma?”

Whenever Hina talked to her grandparents, she made it seemed like Sayo and her relationship was normal, just like any other siblings. She didn’t want them to worry about their cold war. But to think that they knew the truth all along….

“Of course they’re aware of our situation,” replied Sayo. She walked past Hina, intending to leave the living room.

“T--then…” Hina talked to Sayo’s back. “What made us drift apart like this? We've stopped doing things together, you and I are going to different schools, and… and… these days we barely even talk!”

Sayo mumbled inaudibly then turned around. Mom and Dad meanwhile were left speechless by their children’s outburst.

“Please tell me, Onee-chan! What did I do wrong?”

“Why don’t you figure it out yourself?” Sayo asked Hina back. “You’re supposed to be a genius, am I right?”

“But…!”

Hina didn’t have any single clue. She did ask her parents of this, yet all they said were ‘It’s not anyone’s fault’ and ‘Please give Sayo some more time’. They knew all along, but what made them decided to keep it from Hina was a total mystery.

“Now excuse me.”

Hina and her parents could only watch in silence as Sayo left the room and went back upstairs.

“...maybe onee-chan was right,” Hina said. “It’s foolish to pretend that all is well… Besides, we’re not kids anymore. We shouldn’t have a birthday party like this.”

Mom and Dad exchanged looks. Her parents seemed as if they were communicating with some sort of codes. They often did that, so Hina became kind of used to it.

“...I’m a sad excuse for a father,” Dad said. He smiled wearily. “I forced you and Sayo to do things that you girls didn’t even enjoy.”

“N--no! I always look forward to our birthday parties!” Hina objected. “It’s just that… she doesn’t want to celebrate with me. It’s practically my fault.”

“No, dear,” said Mom. She held Hina’s hand and continued, “Sayo-chan is just too tired with her student council and band activities.”

Hina shook her head. “Onee-chan is always grumpy whenever I talk to her,” she weakly said. “And you’ve heard her: we’re not getting along….”

Hina stared at her birthday cake blankly. Some parts of the ice cream had started to melt.

“I wonder if she actually hates me….” Hina added. “If that’s the case, I--”

“Of course not,” Dad interjected. “Sayo loves you. It’s the one thing that’s not going to change. Ever,” the teal-haired man smiled warmly.

Hina could see the sadness on her parents’ eyes. Now she made the atmosphere in the room worsened. And it made her feel guilty.

Hina exclaimed, “Welp, onee-chan didn’t want the cake; that means more cake for me!” She grinned and asked, “Mom, cut the cake for the birthday girl, will ya~”

It was Hina’s duty to brighten the mood, for her parents’ sake. If there was one thing she disliked in the world, it was seeing her family sad. Ironically, Sayo was the reason this time. Yet, she couldn’t hate her sister for it. She just loved her twin so much, no matter how distant they were now.

Hina and her parents spent another hour in the living room before returning to their own bedrooms.

Hina glanced at Sayo’s door, wondering whether her sister was still up or not. The girl clenched her fist and raised it. She meant to knock but suddenly decided not to. She lightly tapped the door instead. The sound was so faint that Sayo wouldn’t possibly hear that. Besides, if she were to knock, Sayo would most likely say ‘Go away, Hina’ or something along the lines.

And Hina didn’t need to worsen her special day any further.

As the girl turned away, she laid eyes to Hikawa family’s photos hanged on the hallway. Most of them were pictures taken during Hina and Sayo’s childhood. It was happy times full of laughter. As the sisters grew older, their picture together became scarcer and scarcer.

A certain photo reminded her of something. It captured the moment when infant Hikawa twins slept soundly inside their crib, with Sayo holding Hina’s hand… just like sea otters who hold hands while sleeping, so they wouldn’t drift away from each other.

A few years later, when the six-year-old twins helped their parents picking photos to hang, Mom praised Sayo as a good big sister because she always managed to calm Hina down whenever her younger sibling burst out crying in the middle of the night. Sayo replied that maybe her baby self was just too tired of hearing Hina’s ear-piercing scream, so she used whatever means necessary to make her twin shut up (holding hands, hugging, or pat in the head worked wonders). Sayo then hugged Hina and exclaimed: “Onee-chan won’t let you cry, ever!”

Hina could still feel the warmth from a decade back. She hugged herself, fully aware that her twin couldn’t return the hug. Sayo who cherished Hina was hidden somewhere behind her current ice-cold persona.

Hina’s vision turned blurry. She wiped her eyes and smiled wearily at their childhood photos.

“Guess you won’t be around to comfort me this time… Onee-chan.”


	5. Night and Day

"Boppin' shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo~"

Hina was walking across the hallway as she sang _Baby Shark_ with altered lyrics.

"Hina-chan, can you make me a cup of coffee?" asked her mother's voice. It came from upstairs.

Hina responded to the request and immediately went to the kitchen. She made Mom's usual cup of espresso, then bring it to the attic. 

The attic was illuminated with natural light that came through from its large windows. Two canvases stood at the center of the room. The paintings haven’t finished yet, from the looks of it. Some parts of the room's wooden flooring were covered with large sheets because painting was always a messy activity.

It was Mom's studio. When Hina and Sayo were kids, they spent lots of their time in this room; playing with paints and crayons. Hina recalled that she often drew aliens with its flying saucers, while Sayo preferred dogs and other fluffy animals.

Mom didn’t seem to realize Hina’s presence yet, as she was in working mode. Hina could peek at her mother’s work through a large monitor and graphic tablet (which size was as big as the monitor). The woman was digitally coloring some sort of RPG-ish artwork while looking at reference pictures.

As Hina walked toward Mom’s workstation, she gave one of the canvases a more careful look. What was depicted there made Hina stopped her legs and smiled wryly.

The painting featured two astronaut rabbits; each stood on the sun and moon. Their hands were reaching out to each other, but to no avail as their homes were so far apart. The celestial bodies were clearly referring to Hina and her sister. Hina's name contained the kanji character for 'day', while Sayo was 'night'.

Mom often drew Hina and Sayo since they were little. As this particular piece, she used other beings to represent the twins. But Mom wasn't the type to draw her close ones out of whim. She must've worried sick with her daughters' fight the other day that she poured her feelings into a canvas.

Not that Hina could do anything….

"Here's your morning caffeine~" Hina placed the mug on Mom's table, just beside the graphic tablet. The teenager did it with extreme caution. She didn't want to spill hot coffee on a gadget that cost even more than her electric guitar.

Mom thanked Hina and pointed at her with a stylus-pen-thingy. “But why are you still wearing _that?_ "

What Mom meant by _that_ were a loose t-shirt and a pair of short cotton pants. A look that was fitting for a couch potato, watching sitcoms all weekend.

"Shouldn’t you start preparing?” The blond-haired woman glanced at a clock that displayed half-past ten. “Your meeting will start at noon, right?”

Hina smiled sheepishly. “Wh--what are you talking about, Mom? The meeting is at twelve… twelve midnight!”

Mom smiled. “No one holds a meeting at midnight, Dear. Especially the one that includes a teenager.” She later sipped her coffee as Hina forced a laugh. The mother put back the mug and looked at the daughter in the eyes. “...or do you intend to miss the meeting on purpose?”

Hina avoided eye contact and raised her shoulders. “Should I go, tho?”

"Huh? Are you sure about that?" asked Mom, worried. "You've been practicing hard these past few weeks for the audition… In fact, I’ve never seen you that dedicated before."

It was just like Mom said. In her sixteen years of life, Hina had never been serious with literally anything. She could achieve good results without even trying that it quickly bore her. Being a genius at everything, the girl couldn’t understand the word ‘dedication’.

Why Mom took days, even weeks, just to finish one artwork?

Why would Sayo strum a certain phrase over and over again?

It was so puzzling.

Only when Hina decided to play the guitar, she started to understand its meaning, even if just a little. She spent day and night strumming the strings of her guitar; whether it was in the school premises or at home when Sayo wasn’t around. She was obsessed with learning chords, performing over a hundred songs, and arranging the medley for her band audition.

All in the hope to rekindle their sisterhood.

"It's just…" Hina sighed. The girl sat on the floor and leaned her back to Mom’s computer table. She hugged her legs and buried her face there. "Now I wonder if playing guitar will do any good to fix our relationship."

Nearly two weeks had passed since the incident during Hikawa twins' birthday. The two never speak a word to each other after that. They even avoid being in the same room due to awkwardness. And Hina never picked up the guitar anymore because it reminded her of Sayo.

“Isn’t it useless to do anything when the recipient clearly hates you…?” Hina continued. Tears were formed in her eyes as she uttered the painful word.

“Hina-chan…”

Hina sobbed. It was rare for her to have an emotional breakdown like this. The girl felt so vulnerable when it came to her sister. But warmth quickly filled her heart as she felt Mom’s hands embraced her. Hina broke into tears on her mother’s shoulder.

Mom patted Hina’s head gently. "I'm so sorry I can't do anything for you and Sayo-chan."

Hina muttered inaudibly. She was always perplexed whenever her parents apologized regarding Hina and Sayo's current relationship. It frustrated her, being clueless of everything.

Hina let go of the hug and raised her head to look at Mom who had the same pair of green eyes like hers. “Mom, can you please tell me, what made Onee-chan change?” Her voice was so weak that it almost sounded like a whisper.

Mom smiled bitterly. “I’ve been meaning to tell you for years, but…” She sighed. “I just can’t disclose that.”

“But why?” Hina insisted. Her eyes were still wet from tears. “I--if only I know what’s the reason, I can try to fix whatever is wrong with me...!”

“It’s not something that needs fixing.” Mom wiped Hina’s tears. “There’s nothing wrong with you, my daughter,” she said with a reassuring smile.

Yet, Hina wasn’t satisfied with her mother’s answer. It was too vague.

“Then, why… Why do you keep it a secret?”

Mom seemed at a loss for words. She looked the other way for a moment—maybe thinking hard of what to say—then fixated her gaze to Hina once more.

“If I were the one to reveal that, I’m afraid it’ll only inflict more pain to either you or Sayo-chan… or worse.”

Hina was left speechless. Whatever the reason was, it seemed the only person who could've straighten the issue was Sayo Hikawa herself.

"...but I can share this one secret,” Mom said. “Tell you what, Sayo-chan recently saw that rabbit painting of you two.” She glanced at the painting and smiled. “You might think that Sayo hates you, but her eyes back then… It reflected sadness."

"Is that true?"

Mom nodded in return.

Hina turned her eyes at the painting of sun and moon rabbits. From what Mom described, it seemed that Sayo longed to reach Hina's hand as well. It made the younger twin realized: although Sayo was usually cold, there were some instances when she cared for her.

"Mom," said Hina. "I think I would give the band a shot."

* * *

Hina locked the front door then descended a flight of stairs (the entrance of her house was located on the second floor). She glanced at the clear morning sky and hummed the jingle from a TV commercial. Her mood improved a lot after that talk with Mom.

But the merry humming ended abruptly when Hina bumped into another person at the staircase intersection. She unconsciously took a step backward and said sorry. Her eyes then widened at the sight of the person who stood before her. 

"Welcome home... Onee-chan."

Sayo nodded indifferently. Although still on holiday, she wore her school uniform. She carried a large paper bag on her left hand and a jacket on the other.

"...I'm home."

The twins averted their gaze and didn't speak another word. If awkwardness could kill, Hina might be dead in a matter of minutes.

Hina looked at the large paper bag that Sayo carried. "That's... a big package you've got." She tried to break the ice.

"...it's a birthday present from student council members," Sayo replied without looking at Hina.

Hina's body tensed. Talking about birthday made her recalled their fight. The air felt so heavy that she found it hard to breathe.

"Hina."

The voice came from the older Hikawa sisters. Hina anxiously thought that Sayo might realize her puffy eyes. She was sure to get rid of them with a cool compress and eye cream. Should she make up a story like binge-watching tear-jerking Thai commercials?

"…I've crossed the line the other day," Sayo still avoided eye contact. "So, uh—" 

Hina let out a sigh of relief. Good thing Sayo didn't see her puffy eyes. But most importantly, her sister brought up _that_ incident.

Sayo's cheeks reddened. "—I apologize for that."

Hina shook her head and smiled brightly. "It's A-okay, Onee-chan! Just conversing like this already made my day."

Sayo then asked where Hina intended to go and when would she returns home, which the younger twin answered with a white lie. Sayo couldn’t find out about the band audition… yet.

“Welp, Imma off then~”

Sayo gave way to Hina, who immediately passed through. But as Hina continued to descend the stairs, she could hear Sayo said 'Hold on'. The short-haired girl stopped her step and turned to the big sister.

“You'd better take this if you intend to return home late. It's going to be cold at night,” said Sayo; handing the jacket that she had been carrying for a while. “It's still clean. I haven't used it yet," she added.

Hina only wore a rolled-sleeve flannel shirt over a blouse, which she realized didn't quite enough to withstand the cold breeze of early spring nights. The girl forgot to bring a jacket as she was in a rush due to her initial plan to skip the meeting.

Hina took the gray jacket from her sister's hand. It was Sayo's favorite outerwear, made of wool and had double-breasted buttons. It wasn't Hina's usual style of outerwear, but the fact that Sayo lent it made her over the moon.

"Thanks, Onee-chan!"

Sayo nodded and turned around. As the older twin ascended the stairs, she quietly said, "Be careful on your way there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy independence day to my country! May the motherland prosper for years to come. This day also marks the fifth chapter of TSC after months of hiatus. Does it mean I'm (finally) free of writing block? For now, yes... But fingers crossed that ideas for this story will never run dry again. I just love this adorkable twin so much that I hoped to write it until the ending sequence shown in the first chapter. Ganbarimasu!


	6. Pastel Beginnings

 

“I need you! I love you―” A pink-haired girl abruptly stopped her singing and put away her mic stand. "―wait, why do we perform this song?"

Hina Hikawa, still clinging to the mic stand, replied, “Cause this is the only idol song that's familiar to all of us!” She formed a peace sign beside her eyes and winked.

“Heavy rotation…!”

The voice came from a TV that played the video of AKB48’s concert. A group of girls was moving their bodies around, accompanied by a song that became a major hit some years back.

A Japanese-Finnish girl spoke up, “ _Heavy Rotation_ was the only Japanese idol song that became trending back in Finland…” Her shoulders declined. “I'm so sorry for my lack of knowledge.”

A girl who wore a pair of half-rimmed glasses added, “I'm not too familiar with this genre as well, to be honest. And I always moved the wrong way.” She let out an awkward laugh. “Sorry…”

Aya shook her head. “N-no, it's not your fault, Eve-chan, Maya-chan!”

A week had passed since Hina went to the meeting at the agency. It was pretty straightforward, even for Hina’s standard. The producer directly announced that Hina, along with a few other girls were gathered there to form an idol band named Pastel✽Palettes.

Since Hina decided to take up guitar, she pictured herself in a common pop or rock band. But an idol band? Were they supposed to be dancing around while playing instruments? It reminded her of dancing violinist Lindsey Stirling. And the thought of doing that with a guitar intrigued her.

Aya turned her eyes to Hina. “We should perfect _Shuwarin☆Drea~min_ instead of doing dance covers!” The twin-tail haired girl said in a panic. “O-our debut is just a few days away…!”

“You went along for a few minutes, tho.”

Aya blushed and smiled sheepishly.

“I'm bored… We've been practicing the same song for a week.” Hina pouted. “Besides, it's not like we're going to sing or play instruments during the live. They're going to play a pre-recorded song, anyway.

“I know, b-but that's―” Aya’s sentence was cut halfway. She looked down and seemed at a loss for words.

Maya sighed. “Well, you're right about that, though…”

“Fake-playing isn't very bushido-like.” Eve wore a glum face.

Silence fell. Hina didn’t understand why her friends went all sullen. The girl was just stating the truth.

Though, to be honest, Hina was confused about the pretend-playing business at first. Why would the agency held a guitarist audition in the first place if the winner would just faking around?

This whole situation was weird, yet interesting at the same time.

Thus, instead of moping around, Hina chose to go along with the act. The agency might be in a rush, so they went with this kind of shortcut. After the debut performance, the other band members might undergo some kind of intensive training and eventually perform for real.

The studio door opened, revealing a woman in semi-formal attire. She was the manager of Pastel✽Palettes.

“Huh, you girls are still here? I thought the music lesson had ended a while ago.”

“Good evening, Miyagi-san!” Aya waved at their manager. She switched to her merry mode in a blink of an eye.

“You’ve been working hard these past few days," said Miyagi. “Don’t overdo it though, okay?”

“But, the debut…”

Miyagi smiled. “Taking care of the members’ health is part of my job, you know.”

Aya eventually gave in. A few minutes later the girls wrapped up their practice and made their way out of the agency building. But as they were walking across the hallway, a loud growl suddenly filled the air.

Hina tilted her head toward the vocalist. “Aya-chan, are you that famished?” she teased.

“W-what makes you think I'm the one who's responsible?”

“Welp, you and I are the only ones who would go doing stupid stuff in front of others~” Hina stuck out her tongue. “Besides, Eve-chan and Maya-chan don't strike me as growly-tummy type.”

“Hmph! Hina-chan, you meanie!” Aya pouted.

Hina laughed out loud, while Eve and Maya chuckled.

Eve then stroke her palms. “Oh! How about we eat out somewhere?”

Hina nodded in agreement. “I’m in!” She made eye contact with Aya again. “The other passengers will stareee so hard if you growl on the train~”

“Why are you always teasing me…?” asked Aya, whose expression resembled a sad puppy.

Hina grinned. “Your reactions are fun to watch, that’s why!”

* * *

Aya Maruyama @aya_pasupa2712 · 6:39 PM

It feels unreal that we're going to debut in just a few days *✧

I can't wait to perform in front of the audience! (*ˊᵕˋ*)

 

“Hey, you forgot to add 'lip-syncing' in that tweet~” Hina Hikawa pointed at her friend with a spoon.

“D-don't say that out loud, Hina-chan!”

Hina giggled. “When did you post that anyway?” she asked.

"Mm? When you were searching for _Heavy Rotation_ videos." Aya fiddled at her phone. Her typing speed was surprisingly fast.

“Here’s your serving of Giga Fries Platter!” A waitress placed a platter of fries and smiled at everyone present at Pastel✽Palettes’ table.

“Yaay, thankies! Time to dig in!” Hina raised her hands to the air. She immediately took a couple of fries and looked at her friends. “Hey, go grab ‘em before it’s cold~”

Hina and her bandmates were eating out at a family restaurant near the train station. The place was packed with people, as they came during dinnertime. Its waiters and waitresses were moving around like bees; busily taking orders and delivering the dishes.

“Oh, I can have them?” Maya pointed at herself, which Hina replied with a nod. She took a fries and dipped it into a bowl of tartar sauce. As the girl munched at the food, her face was filled with delight. “Whoa... This is as good as you said, huhehe!”

Maya Yamato, initially filled-in as a support drummer, was later recruited to become a full-fledged member of Pastel✽Palettes. The girl frequently talked about tidbits of sound equipment, which fascinated Hina. And she happened to attend Haneoka, the same school as Hina.

Eve, meanwhile, expressed her enjoyment in a rather unusual word choice: “You’re right, Hina-san! It’s a feast befitting our conclave!”

Eve Wakamiya was a model at the agency prior to joining Pastel✽Palettes. She was born and raised in Finland but later moved to her father's home country of Japan. Although the girl had a frail lady-like appearance, she loved to imitate samurai.

“Aya-san, aren’t you going to eat?” Maya asked the girl who sat across her. The person she referred to glanced at the platter and mumbled inaudibly since they began eating.

Aya Maruyama, the vocalist of Pastel✽Palettes, was the clumsy one of the group. Hina found it amusing whenever the former idol trainee went all panicky as she sang off notes or messing up the MC session. She did better in expressing herself via Twitter and other social networks, though.

Hina swung a menu book beside Giga Fries Platter in an effort to blow away its mouth-watering smell toward her friend. “You can’t resist the temptation of potatoes!"

“Hina-chan, stop it!” Aya looked away, but the girl quickly wavered as she took a peek at the platter again. “...Is it okay to consume fried foods before a live show?”

Hina leaned her head to her hand. She gave Aya a teasing smile and said, “Nah, they will play a pre-recorded voice, anyway~”

“Shuush!” The other three placed their index finger in front of their lips.

“Besides, aren’t you ordering an omelet that contains fried rice?” Hina shrugged.

Pastel✽Palettes members couldn’t disclose about the lip-syncing and fake-playing business to the public, as stated in their written contract. Hina recalled that she almost fell asleep when she read that boring bundle of paper, yet Eve said it might help them not to stray the path of bushido.

“Look, Chisato-chan’s new drama will air next week!”

Aya pointed at the restaurant’s TV. It showed a commercial of an upcoming TV drama. It featured their bassist, Chisato Shirasagi, in a scene where she found an abandoned puppy in the middle of the rain.

Hina bet the show would be another tear-jerking drama, like numerous stories about the furry friends she had seen before. It reminded her of Sayo, who used to be the first to cry as well as the last to stop whenever they watched dog movies. Her big sister always had a soft spot for canines.

"Come to think of it, Chisato-san always leave straight away when our music lessons end." Eve took another fries. "Maybe it’s related to this show?"

“Hmm, it might be the case…” said Maya.

"Aww, the dog is so cute like a plush doll!" Aya commented. "I wonder what breed it is…."

"It's a Westie, I think~" Hina answered. "Oh, speaking of dogs makes me remember onee-chan! You're a second-year student at Hanasakigawa, right? Do you know her?"

"Sister?" Aya asked back. Her eyes then widened. "Sayo Hikawa is your big sister!"

Hina imitates the sound effect of a buzzer. "Ding ding! A hundred points for Aya-chan!"

"Sayo-san the impregnable fortress?!" Eve slammed the table in surprise, startling her fellow bandmates as well as other customers. Realizing her mistake, she immediately bowed and apologized to everyone.

"Impregnable fortress?" Maya turned her face to Eve, Hina, then Aya. "Wa-wait, are we talking about a warlord now?"

"I met Sayo-san on the first day of school…" Eve stared at the distance. "I wanted to express the spirit of bushido by swinging a wooden sword at the school gate. But then Sayo-san came and asked me to hand the sword―oh, you must be confused, Maya-san! She’s a disciplinary committee at Hanasakigawa―and she didn't flinch, no matter how much I begged for mercy..." She let out a sigh.

Hina laughed. “Welp, that’s onee-chan for sure!”

"You bought a _wooden sword_ to school?" asked Aya.

"Mm? Isn’t the kendo club members armed with bamboo swords, too?”

Maya chuckled. “I’m pretty sure they don’t carry it outside the dojo…”

The waitress returned with more food consisting of omelet rice, double cheeseburger, spaghetti with meatballs, and pork cutlet bowl. Aya drew an emoji on her omelet rice with ketchup, snapped a photo, then uploaded it on Twitter. Eve and Maya, meanwhile, didn't bother to decorate their dinner, let alone took a photo of them.

"Say, how did you know onee-chan?" Hina took the top bun of her double cheeseburger and placed a few french fries between the lettuce. "Did she confiscate your stuff, too?"

"I hope it won't ever come to that." Aya smiled. "We're just classmates."

"Really?! How's she's like at school?” Hina's eyes sparkled with excitement. “Tell me, tell me! Pretty please~"

"Mm, we haven't talked much…" Aya put her phone on the table. "I guess she's the polar opposite of you?"

"Cool and serious, you mean?" Hina repositioned the top bun of her burger, then lift the junk food from its plate.

Aya nodded. "And she's very helpful in class! Just the other day, she …"

Hina listened intently while she consumed her burger. Relief filled her heart, knowing that Sayo was doing fine at school. Years of the cold war made her knew literally nothing, after all.

* * *

“I’m home!”

Hina exclaimed cheerfully as she walked into the foyer of Hikawa residence. She put her shoes in the shoe cabinet and switched footwear into home sandals. Barkings could be heard from the living room. Her parents must’ve been watching a dog show.

“Mom, Dad―huh, Onee-chan?”

Hina didn’t expect to see Sayo when she entered the living room. The long-haired girl was alone, watching TV while playing the guitar or the other way round. That was rare. She usually practiced in her own bedroom.

“Oh, you’re home,” said Sayo. She pulled a cord that was connecting her navy blue guitar with its mini amp and place all of the instruments on an empty coffee table. “Where have you been until this late?”

“I was having dinner with a Finnish samurai warlord and her friends!”

Sayo frowned. “You and your nonsense…”

Hina approached the sofa and sat on it, right beside her older twin. “Where’s Mom and Dad?”

“On a date night at DisneySea,” Sayo answered. “Didn’t they tell you?”

Hina checked her phone. Right; she missed some messages from both of her parents. Dad sent two photos of a Donald Duck pillow and asked whether Hina liked it, while Mom spammed a bunch of selfies with Dad.

“Aww, mom and dad are just like newlyweds!” Hina said gleefully, but seconds later her expression turned into a pout. “It’s a bummer they didn’t invite us, tho… I wanna hug Donald.”

"Geez, are you a kid?” Sayo crossed her hands.

Hina grinned.

...wait, was it just her feeling or Sayo’s mood tonight was much better than usual?

Hina hugged her sister’s arm and gleefully said, “You’re in a good mood, Onee-chan! Something boppin’ happened today?”

Sayo blushed due to the sudden physical contact. “L-let go of me, Hina!” She turned her reddened face away. “Just go to the bath already.”

“Okey dokey~” Hina replied as she let go of her sister's arm. She really needed to soak in a bathtub of hot water, anyway, but not before she typed some replies to her parents.

Sayo was also checking messages on her phone. Hina glanced at Sayo’s screen and spotted a LINE chat with someone who used a kitten as a profile picture. She only caught a glimpse that they were planning to meet tomorrow and mentioned about a circle.

Hina raised her eyebrow. Circle? She wondered if Sayo joined a self-publishing group. Hina didn’t know much about her sister’s activities these days, so this was surprising. Furthermore, what kind of manga or novel her sister was working on?

“...hey, Onee-chan.”

“Yes?” Sayo was still focused on her phone, though she already moved on to another chatroom.

“Are you into BL?”

Sayo immediately turned her head. The guitarist didn’t need to utter a single word, but judging from her expression, she probably said, ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’.

“Guess it’s a no?”

Hina shrugged and got up from the sofa. As the younger twin made her way upstairs, a melody of the dog show’s theme song began to play. It didn’t come from the TV; it was Sayo playing her guitar.

Whatever happened today, she was glad that Sayo seemed to have fun.


	7. Deceiving Ten Thousand People

“Mom, Dad, I’m home~!”

Hina showed up in the living room that was connected to the kitchen. Dad was watching TV, while Mom was preparing dinner. The daughter’s nose instantly caught a fragrant smell of stew being cooked.

“Welcome home, Hina-chan,” greeted Mom as she stirred the stew. “Take a bath then eat your dinner, Dear.”

“Let our kiddo relax first.” Dad smiled and tapped the sofa. “Come, watch the TV with your dad.”

Hina looked at the TV. “Oh, the next segment’s gonna feature Shiba Inu pups!” she exclaimed. “Wait a sec’, Dad~ Imma ask Onee-chan to watch with us.”

Hina left the living room and went upstairs.

These past two weeks had been hectic for Hina Hikawa. She, along with her band, Pastel✽Palettes, attended hours of music lessons and intensive training. Not to mention, promotional stuff like photo shoots and teaser videos for their upcoming debut. These days, it wasn’t strange for Hina to arrive home at 9 or even 10 PM. 

Although Tokyo was a city with a low crime rate, the fact that a high school girl often stayed out late still worried her parents. Sayo, on the other hand, grew suspicious of her younger twin’s night activities but didn’t express it in front of Hina (Mom was the one who informed her of this).

When Hina asked Aya, the vocalist who also served as their _de facto_ leader, she said maybe their practice schedule was so packed because they had to debut in just two weeks after its forming.

Tonight was an exception. No lesson or intensive training scheduled. Tomorrow their band would have their big debut, so they need to conserve energy. The clock had barely struck 7 PM, but Hina was already at home. Although prior to that, she spent a few hours roaming around Shinjuku's main street with some classmates. Her routine at the agency nowadays made her feel kinda bored.

“Onee-chan, I’m home!”

Hina opened Sayo’s door and saw her older twin sitting on a bed. Sayo was so absorbed with her phone that she didn’t even realize Hina’s presence. Usually, she would complain if Hina barging into her room without knocking. Whatever made Sayo ignorant with her surroundings? The younger Hikawa took a pillow from the bed and sat on the floor.

Hina waited for a few moments, yet still no response. How strange...

“Onee-chan, watcha lookin’ at?”

Sayo was startled. “Hina…!” She immediately closed the browser app on her phone and put the device down. “I told you not to look at people’s phones like that.”

Hina already caught a glimpse of her sister’s screen, though. Sayo was looking at a website named “Future World Fes”. It displayed photos of various bands performing live.

“Mm, Future World Fes?” asked Hina. “What’s that? Some kinda rock event?”

“It’s my private matter.” Sayo frowned. “You have nothing to do with it, Hina.”

“Nothing to do with me, huh~”

Sayo looked away. She didn’t utter another word.

Hina pouted. She might be considered as rude for peeking Sayo’s phone, but she was kind of desperate. Her sister was so secretive these days, that’s why. She hugged Sayo’s pillow and shook her head. No, a little grumpiness couldn’t stop Hina to invite her older twin to do something together.

“Hey, hey… Come with me to the living room, then!” Hina wore a bright smile. “Dad's watching that dog show you like.”

“It's recording, I'll watch it later,” Sayo replied, still facing away. “I'm busy right now.” The girl curled her side hair with her fingers. “And you don't even like dogs, Hina.”

“But you do, though, don't you?” asked Hina, though the answer was obvious. “We're twins, right? It's nice to do things together sometimes….”

Sayo scoffed. “You always want to do everything together.”

Hina was startled by her sister’s unpleasant tone.

“Onee-chan, I was just—”

“—just because we were born on the same day, doesn't mean we have to be around each other all the time, does it?”

Hina’s shoulders declined. She didn’t mean to offend her older twin. Why would Sayo be so against the idea of them doing stuff together?

“We agreed that we wouldn't get in each other's hair like this once we started high school.” Sayo got up from the bed and took her guitar from its stand. “Now go back to your room.” She glanced at Hina coldly. “I have to practice.”

“...okay,” said Hina weakly. “I’m sorry, Onee-chan….”

Hina closed the door behind her. The hallway that connected the bedrooms was decorated with Hikawa family photos; from when their parents were just married until Hina and Sayo got into high school. The majority of the photos were taken during the twins’ infancy to elementary school days.

The turquoise-haired girl hung off a frame that displayed a photo of Sayo and her during their elementary school’s sports day. It was the last photo of them while they were still on good terms. She recalled that they were facing off during the anchor leg of a relay race; Hina secured the first place while Sayo was fourth out of eight sixth-year classes.

How Hina longed for the old days. When the twins were little, they were always doing stuff together and there was no secret between them. Those were joyful days. Sayo used to smile brightly and loved to cuddle her.

The younger sister often wondered what went wrong with their relationship. They never got into a huge fight. Sayo simply just became distant for an unknown reason. They even went to different middle and high schools, which made their time together became even scarcer.

Tomorrow Hina would perform live with Pastel✽Palettes. One step closer to chase after Sayo's back. But would Sayo want to play the guitar with her, after what she said just now?

Hina shook her head. It wasn’t like her to be negative like this. Yes, she must stay positive. Her relationship with Sayo would definitely return to how they used to be if she kept trying… one step at a time.

* * *

[Kaoru Seta] Ah, the sun graces us with its majestic presence this Saturday afternoon. May your performance be as vibrant as your name, Hina. 

[Kaoru Seta] Come spread your wings! For the great Shakespeare once said, “Nothing will come of nothing.”

Hina sent a laughing sticker, followed by thanks. Kaoru was always going overboard with her words, but that was what made the girl interesting.

[Lisa Imai] Jeez, Kaoru. You make my simple break a leg looked like a half-assed encouragement~

Kaoru and Lisa were classmates. The three only knew one another for less than a week, yet they already went through a bunch of stupid, memorable, stuff.

Hina was about to type a reply, but her train had already reached its destination. She sent a sticker instead, put the phone to her parka’s pocket, and continued her journey.

The girl arrived at the agency ten minutes later. Hina and the others were supposed to meet at the agency before they went together to the concert venue by car. Aya, Maya, as well as Eve were still on the way based on what they said in Pastel✽Palettes’ chatroom. Chisato, meanwhile, didn’t specify her status and only gave them a gentle reminder to arrive as soon as possible.

Speaking of... Chisato Shirasagi, the bassist of Pastel✽Palettes, had already chill at the lounge. She was reading a magazine when Hina entered the room. The blond closed the magazine, which turned out to be _Monthly Japanese Bushido_ , and welcomed Hina with a smile.

“Oh, Hina-chan. Good morning.”

“Hey, Chisato-chan!” Hina waved her hand. She joined her bandmate to the sofa and glanced at the magazine on Chisato’s lap. “Huh, I didn’t know you’re interested in samurai too like Eve-chan.”

Chisato chuckled. “Oh, it’s nothing like that.” She flipped around the magazine pages and showed an article to Hina. “This interview with Eve-chan caught my eye.”

“Wow, her Shinsengumi-look is boppin’~” Hina commented. “I heard she owns one set at home. She bought it from a cosplay shop, tho.”

Then a sudden realization hit Hina. The guitarist already knew a bunch of stuff about her other three bandmates, but not Chisato. Maybe she had interesting stories to tell like Maya and Eve, or secretly clumsy a.k.a. Aya 2.0. Hina only knew that Chisato was an actress and attended Hanasakigawa Girls’ High School. 

Wait, Hanasakigawa? Wasn’t that Sayo’s school?

And in the end, curiosity about Sayo’s life at school defeated her intention to dig deeper into Chisato’s background.

“I knew you look kind of familiar.” Chisato smiled. “Judging from the color of your school uniform, you and Hika—Sayo-san are twins?”

Although Hina didn’t wear her uniform right now, Haneoka’s uniform was popular among high schoolers because it looked stylish.

“You recognize that I'm a second-year from my blue tie and skirt?” Hina grinned. “I didn’t know people from other schools are able to correctly guess which color goes to which grade.”

“An old friend of mine goes there.”

“Hey, so are you one of Onee-chan's victims of disciplinary action?”

“Mm, I wonder about that.” Chisato giggled as she gave a vague reply. She placed the tip of her open hand to the chin and continued, “Normally, people would ask ‘are two friends?’ or something along those lines.”

Hina laughed. “Some people say I have a bizarre way of thinking~”

The lounge’s door abruptly opened, revealing the three remaining members of Pastel✽Palettes. The girls pant as if they were just running to chase or be chased by something.

“So-sorry, we’re late!” Aya said between her breath.

Both Hina and Chisato raised from the sofa and approached the trio.

“You guys look like a mess!” Hina laughed. “Did a ghost chase you?”

“Did you run along the way?” Chisato asked worriedly.

“Yes, Maya-san and I were inspired by Aya-san’s overwhelming bushido spirit!” Eve exclaimed.

“Ah, I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to rush you.” Chisato wore an apologetic smile. She glanced at a small pantry at the corner of the room and said, “Is it alright if we drink tea before we go to the venue? I’ll make some for us.”

* * *

A van, along with several other cars, marched to the entrance of the concert hall. The building was huge. Maybe nearly the size of Nippon Budokan, a venue that was considered as the holy land of aspiring musicians. 

Although the performance was still hours away, a number of people had gathered in front of the building. Hina squinted her pair of green eyes. They turned out to be another idol group’s fans, from the posters and banners they carried around.

“We’re going to perform as the opening act for Marmalade, huh,” Hina said. “They’re the idol group who hosts that dog show, right?” she asked Aya who sat beside her.

“Aaa, I’m so nervous!” Aya covered her face with both hands. “To perform on the same stage as Ayumi-san…!”

“The building is rather big…” Chisato commented. “Miyagi-san, how many people will be attending the concert?”

Suzuko Miyagi, their manager who sat on the front beside the driver, turned around. “The concert hall can hold about ten thousand people, I believe.”

Aya gawked. “Ten thousand?!”

A wave of surprise also came from three girls who sat behind Hina and Aya’s seat.

“That’s two-thirds of Budokan’s capacity!” Maya said.

“Ten thousand audiences for a debut…?” Chisato said in disbelief.

“I never perform anything in front of a hundred people, let alone ten thousand…” Eve added. Her voice trembled.

“Eh? It’s nowhere near Glay’s two-hundred thousand attendance concert, tho?” Hina shrugged. “I read that on the _Guinness World Records_ book.”

Maya giggled. “We’re just a speck of dust compared to a legendary rock band, Hina-san...”

“Please calm down, everyone.” Miyagi smiled reassuringly. “You guys should be okay. The staff will play a pre-recorded voice and music.”

Shortly after, Pastel✽Palettes’ entourage was dropped at a secret entrance hidden from the public’s eye. The hallways were bustling with staff, busy with preparations here and there.

A moment later, though, there was a strange occurrence happened before them. A girl was seen kneeling in front of a vending machine; her body bent up and arms stretched out to a space underneath the machine.

“Mmph...! Stupid a hundred yen coin!”

Both Chisato and Miyagi looked away, pretended not to see anything. The same couldn’t be applied for Hina, though. She approached the girl instead.

“Hey, watcha doin’ there?”

The said girl turned her head, revealing a cute woman in her early twenties. Her brunette hair was styled in a bob. She wore casual bright-colored tops combined with denim shorts.

Hina pointed at the young woman. “Wait, you’re—”

“Ayumi-san?!”

“—the dog show host.”

Ayumi got up right away. “That’s right!” She gave a cute wink. “I’m Ayumi, the citrus peach and the center of Marmalade~”

Silence befell the group for a moment before it was broken by Aya.

“N-no way... She’s the real Ayumi-san in the flesh!” Aya covered her mouth. Her eyes went all teary. “I… I’ve been your fan since forever!”

“Is that so?” Ayumi smiled. “It’s nice to meet you—huh, aren’t you guys Pastel✽Palettes, the new idol band that’s going to perform during the opening act?”

Aya’s had the look that clearly said “Oh my God, my upperclassman notices me!” on her face.

Miyagi stepped forward and politely greeted Ayumi. The manager then introduced the members of Pastel✽Palettes, along with their roles, one by one.

“Could… could I shake your hand?” asked Aya.

“I would say ‘of course’ in a normal circumstance…” Ayumi smiled apologetically and glanced at the vending machine. “But my hands are dirty because of all that rummaging.”

“It’s okay!” Aya shook her head. “I don’t plan to wash my hands, after all.”

Chisato giggled. “Aya-chan, you know that’s unhygienic…”

Ayumi followed through with the giggle. She wiped her right hand to her tops, then offered her hand. Aya promptly shook the idol’s hand in full excitement.

“Ayumi-san, there you are!” said a person from afar. “Let’s go back and do another run-through.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there!” Ayumi replied. She turned back to Pastel✽Palettes’ entourage and waved her hand. “See you on the stage, everyone!”

* * *

Even from the backstage, Hina could already feel the atmosphere on the stage. Like most concerts out there, the arena was shrouded in darkness during the moments before performers came out to the stage. Contrary to the lighting, cheers from the audience filled the whole concert hall with life. The girl caught a glimpse of lightsticks being waved around by fans.

Hina turned to face her bandmates. Aya was fidgeting around, Chisato wore her usual calm demeanor, Eve did some kind of meditation, while Maya used her drumming sticks as incense. It was kinda funny to see the variety of their reactions before going on stage.

“That's a lot of people out there.” Hina pointed at the stage and grinned. “Funny how we’ve gotta get up there and make them all believe we’re actually performing, right?”

The remaining four didn’t respond at Hina’s remark. Aya’s face, she noticed, became even paler than before. Eve stopped her meditation and comforted the vocalist. Chisato joined the party and gave her words of encouragement.

“Y-yeah... You’re right...!” Aya’s face brightened and her eyes were filled with resolve. “We’re going to give our best performance for our ten thousand audiences!”

Hina nodded. “Yup, minus the singing and playing instruments~”

“Hmph… Please don’t ruin the mood, Hina-chan!” Aya whined.

“Sorry, sorry!” The guitarist laughed. “But I have a serious question, tho: is Marmalade lip-syncing?”

Aya shook her head. “They’re always singing live, even when their voices become hoarse due to hours of singing and dancing...”

Hina nodded. “Wow, that’s a pro for ya!”

“Pro, huh…” Chisato quietly muttered.

A backstage staff then approached the girls and said, “Pastel✽Palettes, you’re up next!”

Pastel✽Palettes’ members exclaimed “Okay!” in unison.

“Please welcome to the stage, here for their debut performance…” an MC said from the center of the stage. “The latest and greatest new idol band, Pastel✽Palettes!”

Aya head out to the stage first; followed by Hina, Chisato, Eve, and finally Maya. Each girl was illuminated by a spotlight. They waved to the audiences, who welcomed them with a wave of cheer. Hina and the others walked to their stations—the instruments were already there for them to use—and readied their instruments at once.

The lights then brightened, giving Hina ease to look around. The stage was decorated with pastel-colored sweets like lollipops, macarons, and ice creams. It somehow matched with their stage costumes, frilly no-sleeve dresses in five different colors for each girl. She wondered whether the staff made the stage to match Pastel✽Palettes’ image, or Marmalade happened to have a pastel color scheme as well. The correct answer would be the latter, most likely. Marmalade was the star of the show, after all.

Aya took a mic from its stand. “Hello, everyone! We are Pastel✽Palettes, a new idol band that’s going to perform as the opening act for our seniors in Marmalade.” She waved at the audience again. “Thank you so much for coming out to see Marmalade today!”

Hina smiled. Aya was nervous as heck on the backstage, but she turned out to be a smooth talker when she must.

“I think you’ll get to know us best if we just go ahead and perform a song for you!” Aya carried on. She raised her hands and shouted, “Here is _Shuwarin☆Drea~min_!”

Hina strummed the strings of her blue guitar right away, syncing with the pre-recorded music. The girl had done it every single day that it became second nature to her. She hoped that the others were able to match their pretend-play with the music as well.

The audiences were cheering and waving their lightsticks around. Adding to Hina’s excitement, they even switched the color of their lightsticks into pastel green, Pastel✽Palettes’ band color. That was a warm reception for a group of newborn idols.

“Shuwa, shuwa! Dori☆dori~mi—”

The voice, as well as the music, suddenly stopped; yet Hina and her bandmates were still faking around for two or three seconds after that abrupt end. Silence fell, followed by thousands of murmurs from the audience. Hina couldn’t tell what they said, but even an emotionally-dense person like her knew it must be bad.

Hina turned to Chisato and whispered, “What happened to the audio?!”

Chisato only shook her head. Even the actress couldn’t hide her anxiety in this situation.

Aya, meanwhile, just froze. She held a mic, yet couldn’t utter anything except a terribly nervous attempt to speak. And just then, Chisato grabbed a mic positioned at the bass guitar section and gave an announcement.

“We’re sorry, everyone. It seems like due to some technical difficulties, we won’t be able to continue our performance today.” Chisato spoke in a calm manner, yet Hina knew she must be struggling to keep the panic from showing up. “We have many more shows planned for the near future and we hope you’ll be back to see them.”

Chisato ended her talk with a smile. “That’s all for now from Pastel✽Palettes!”

The crowd was in a state of confusion. 

Hina could hear Eve’s voice from the rear, asking whether their show truly ended. Her voice was so weak, unlike her usual cheeriness.

“...I guess it has to be.” Hina let out a sigh. “Let’s get out of here.”

She unplugged a cable connecting her electric guitar with an amp—which of course wasn’t turned on—then walked away. Eve and Chisato followed suit, bringing their keytar and bass guitar back.

As the five returned to backstage, Hina realized that Aya had it the worst. Her eyes were in tears and her body trembled. To make matters worse, they crossed paths with the members of Marmalade who were preparing to go out to the stage.

Aya ran passed Ayumi and the rest of Marmalade members without saying a word, while Hina and the remaining Pastel✽Palettes girls could only say hello in total awkwardness.

* * *

When the girls returned to the dressing room, they were approached by Miyagi. The manager said that the staff was finding out the problem as they spoke. But then she got a call from someone and went outside.

Hina couldn’t believe what happened just minutes back. Their fake performance went smoothly during the first half, with people cheering and—most importantly—believed that they performed for real. The was about to say what she had in mind, yet Chisato beat her.

“...we just lied to ten thousand people and they all found out within minutes.”

Silence befell the group. Hina couldn’t find any word to lift up the mood. If there were any, though, she doubted it’ll be useful to cheer her bandmates. She gazed at Aya, who was accompanied by Eve and Maya. Hina smiled wryly. Not with Aya sobbing around like that.

Then one of them spoke, followed by the others.

Eve questioned why the music suddenly stopped. Maya, as the music equipment geek of the group; gave a possible cause that it might be due to a fault on speakers, amps, or transformers. But soon after, an unexpected person spoke.

“I’m sorry, everyone…” Aya wiped the tears in her eyes. “I knew I had to do something, but I couldn’t make a sound up there…”

“It’s not your fault, Aya-san…!” Maya said reassuringly. “And there’s no use crying over spilled milk, anyway.” She shook her head and smiled. “We’ve just gotta make the next show even better!”

Eve and Chisato didn’t share the same optimism, though.

Chisato got up from her seat and walked to the door. “I’m going to ask the staff what’s going on.”

As Chisato closed the door, lively music accompanied by the cheers of the audience, came from a TV placed in the dressing room. The screen showed live footage of what happened on stage. The arena was already cleared from any musical instruments Pastel✽Palettes had used before.

Ayumi and the rest of Marmalade members came out from the backstage and sang their hearts out. After the first song ended, they had an MC session, which didn’t mention anything about what happened a few minutes prior, as if Pastel✽Palettes wasn’t there.

Hina let out a dry laugh. Their senior idols must be ashamed with a lip-syncing bunch like them.

But then came a wave of discord amongst the audience. Some of them demand a proper explanation of what happened with Pastel✽Palettes and gave an accusation that Marmalade did the same act of lip-syncing.

“Oh, no…” Aya’s shoulders declined. “Wh-what should we do? We dragged Marmalade into our mess!”

Maya said, “Wait, don’t they know how to tell whether a singer lip-syncing or not…?”

“If they could, they would boo-ing at us, even without that technical fault incident~” replied Hina.

“Whoa, that escalated quickly!” Ayumi said from the screen. Her astonishment didn’t last long, though, as she smiled and said calmly, “Please lower your voices so we can talk, okay?”

And it didn’t take long for the yelling to die out. Hina was impressed. Although Ayumi seemed like an adorkable person—based on what happened at the vending machine—she surely had an immense amount of charisma.

“The staff are still investigating the problem as we speak. I believe the management will address this matter properly soon enough.” Ayumi explained. “But no matter what happens, please don’t be too harsh to our cute juniors, alright?”

Aya gasped. “Ayumi-san still acknowledges us as her juniors…!” She was overflowing with tears once more.

“And a cute one at that.” Hina patted Aya’s shoulder. “C’mon, give us your pretty pink wink, Aya-chan!” She grinned and raised her thumb.

Aya gave a weak smile and winked at Hina.

“As of whether we sing for real or lip-syncing…” Ayumi said. Her smile was still intact. “How about we play a little game, everyone?”

The game that Ayumi spoke of was an improv. She challenged the audience to pick a Marmalade song to be performed in a cappella. Various titles came from the crowd, which later were voted based on the volume of cheers.

Before long the idol group performed a song without instrumental accompaniment. And what dazed Pastel✽Palettes, especially Aya, was the moment when Ayumi went “la la la” instead of uttering the correct words. As the song ended, the center of the group jokingly admitted that she forgot the lyric because it was an old song.

“I’m not sure whether Ayumi-san truly forgot the lyric or she intentionally made a mistake… But either way, it made the performance felt more natural.” Maya touched her chin. “And I doubt anyone will accuse them of lip-syncing anymore.”

Aya let out a fangirl squeal. But seconds later, she realized that Chisato hadn’t returned to the dressing room.

“Is this all we can do right now? Just wait?” Eve asked. “I want to try to help…” Her face grew weary with anxiety. “And Chisato-san being out there is a little worrying.”

“Ah~, I’m so bored just sitting around like this!” Hina raised from her chair. “Imma go see if I can find her.”

“Ah, Hina-chan, I want to go too!”

Hina shook her head. “Nah, hold your horses~” She reached for the doorknob and gave a smirk. “Your makeup is so messed that you looked like a ghost lady!”

As Hina closed the door behind, she could hear Aya screaming about her ruined makeup in agony.

“Now where could Chisato-chan be…?”

The guitarist of Pastel✽Palettes walked in a random direction and looked around. The staff was still busy with Marmalade’s ongoing gig. Her eyes later spotted a girl in a yellow frilly dress—identical to Hina’s blue one—talking to one of the backstage staff.

“Chisato-chan!” exclaimed Hina while she ran toward the bassist. As the distance was close enough to talk, she continued, “You were taking so long—But forget about that~ What were you guys talking about?”

“Hina-chan. I’m sorry, you must have been worried,” said Chisato. “I was just having the staff here explain to me exactly what went wrong today.”

“Oh, right.” Hina nodded. “All I know is, the other girls are all looking pretty unnerved right now.”

“Of course, it was a big problem we faced today. But I need you all to grow stronger from experiences like these.” Chisato gave a tender smile. “...So strong that you won't even need me around.”

“Huh?”

Chisato chuckled. “However much more experienced I am, there's still a limit to what I can do, after all.”

“No, what did you mean by—”

Hina’s sentence got cut as Chisato invited her to return to the dressing room. The girl quietly abide and walked behind the actress.

Their debut today was terrible enough as it was, but... Did their bassist just give away a hint that she would bail out the band real soon?

Hina sighed.

The thought didn’t sound boppin’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! I hope you like my re-enactment of Pastel✽Palettes’ disastrous debut.
> 
> One notable change is that they serve as an opening act of Marmalade, the idol group that Aya had been looking up to and the reason why she aspires to be an idol. Another change would be that Pastel✽Palettes and Marmalade belong to the same agency, while canonically they don’t. I make these changes to give Aya more drama (JK, JK).
> 
> The next chapter will revolve around the aftermath of their debut. If you haven’t read Daily Lives of Boppin’ 2-A, I’d suggest you do so because Kaoru and Lisa will play a major role in Chapter 8 (so it won’t feel weird that they suddenly appear and jump into Hina’s problem). Click my username to find the series.
> 
> See you at the next chapter!


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